WO2010047884A2 - Electrolyse d'eau de bassin de combustible consommé pour la production d'hydrogène - Google Patents

Electrolyse d'eau de bassin de combustible consommé pour la production d'hydrogène Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2010047884A2
WO2010047884A2 PCT/US2009/055661 US2009055661W WO2010047884A2 WO 2010047884 A2 WO2010047884 A2 WO 2010047884A2 US 2009055661 W US2009055661 W US 2009055661W WO 2010047884 A2 WO2010047884 A2 WO 2010047884A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
hydrogen
electrolyser
spent fuel
oxygen
water
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2009/055661
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English (en)
Other versions
WO2010047884A3 (fr
Inventor
David E. Fowler
Original Assignee
Fowler David E
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Fowler David E filed Critical Fowler David E
Publication of WO2010047884A2 publication Critical patent/WO2010047884A2/fr
Publication of WO2010047884A3 publication Critical patent/WO2010047884A3/fr

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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B1/00—Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals
    • C25B1/01—Products
    • C25B1/02—Hydrogen or oxygen
    • C25B1/04—Hydrogen or oxygen by electrolysis of water
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B15/00—Operating or servicing cells
    • C25B15/08—Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
    • Y02E60/36—Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis

Definitions

  • the primary human activity attributed to the warming condition is the burning of fossil fuels.
  • the burning of fossil fuel produces carbon oxides, primarily carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), which is a most prevalent greenhouse gas, second only to water vapor.
  • CO 2 carbon dioxide
  • Greenhouse gases are those gases present in the earth's atmosphere that attenuate the loss of heat into outer space, thereby affecting global temperatures. Although essential to maintaining habitable temperature, an excess of greenhouse gases can raise the temperature of a planet.
  • a fuel that does not generate carbon oxides is hydrogen. Upon its combustion, hydrogen forms only water. The goal of a hydrogen economy has been envisioned where much research has been directed to fuel cells, storage systems, distribution networks and generation. Presently, hydrogen generation is considered by many to be cost ineffective. At the present time, hydrogen is most economically produced from hydrocarbons, where hydrogen can be generated from natural gas at approximately 80% efficiency.
  • a primary or exclusive step is the steam reforming of natural gas where steam (H 2 O) reacts endothermically with methane (CH 4 ) to yield H 2 and carbon monoxide CO at high temperatures (700-1100 0 C) which are generated by the burning of natural gas.
  • Direct electrolysis of water can produce hydrogen with efficiencies of about 25% without the formation of greenhouse gases. However, the electricity consumed is typically more valuable than the hydrogen produced and this mode of generation is not widely used.
  • the electrolysis at very high temperatures has been carried out at the laboratory scale where the efficiency of electrolysis is increased to about 50%.
  • the high temperature electrolysis (HTE) process is generally considered to be viable by combination with a nuclear heat source, as other non-chemically generated high- temperature heat sources are not considered consistent enough to justify the capital costs of HTE equipment.
  • Even using nuclear heat sources only prototype Generation IV nuclear reactors can operate at the temperatures (859 to 1,000 0 C) identified for economical hydrogen production. No Generation IV nuclear reactors are anticipated before the year 2030. Hence, a sufficiently efficient generation of hydrogen without generation of carbon oxides is not anticipated to be economical for at least twenty years.
  • One embodiment of the invention is a method for producing hydrogen from radiation excited water from one or more spent fuel pools, typically residing at a nuclear power plant, to at least one electrolyser where a DC electrical current is applied to at least one pair of electrodes of each of the electrolysers and the hydrogen is collected.
  • Radiation excited water can be drawn from the proximity of the spent fuel cells residing in the spent fuel pool, or other source of radiation excited water at the site of a nuclear power plant.
  • Any type of electrolyser can be used individually or in combination, including, but not restricted to, alkaline electrolysers, proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers, alkaline ionomer based electrolysers, and solid oxide electrolysers.
  • PEM proton exchange membrane
  • the DC current can be converted from the AC current generated by an AC generator coupled to the turbine of the nuclear power plant, or the steam can be diverted from a turbine driving an AC generator to a turbine driving a DC generator.
  • the A to D conversion can occur by employing an AC driven motor to turn shafts of one or more homopolar generators.
  • the hydrogen produced at the cathodes within the electrolysers can be collected as a high pressure gas, absorbed or converted into a hydride or other hydrogen equivalent.
  • the oxygen produced at anodes of the electrolysers can be collected as a high pressure gas or a liquid.
  • the radiation excited water can be passed through at least one magnetic field situated before the entrance of the electrolysers.
  • a high magnetic flux can be created by directing like poles of one or more sets of magnets, either permanent or electromagnets, toward each other.
  • a grid energy storage system for load leveling of a nuclear power plant is carried out by producing hydrogen and oxygen.
  • electricity is diverted from the grid to one or more electrolyser where radiation excited water from spent fuel pools undergoes electrolysis in at least one electrolyser and storing the hydrogen as a combustion source of energy.
  • the combustion can be reintroduced to the grid or used remotely to the gird.
  • some or all of the power supplied to the electrolysers can be diverted to the gird.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of a grid energy storage system for a nuclear power plant employing energy stored as hydrogen by electrolysis of radiation excited water from a spent fuel pool.
  • Hydrogen can be produced by electrolysis in a more cost efficient manner if energy in addition to electrical energy is supplied to the water.
  • the source of non-electrical energy is radiant energy from spent fuel rods submerged in water pools, known as spent fuel pools.
  • the water of the pool that is in an excited state from absorption of the radiant energy is exposed to the electrodes for electrolysis to enhance hydrogen generation at the cathode.
  • Spent fuel pools receive the spent fuel rods from nuclear reactors. Spent fuel pools require at least 20 feet of water over the stored fuel rods to provide a safety margin and allow fuel assembly manipulation without special shielding protecting the operators.
  • a typically pool is about 40 feet or more in depth where the bottom approximate 14 feet are equipped with storage racks designed to hold fuel assemblies from the reactor.
  • the spent fuel pools Although characterized by the blue glow due to Cerenkov radiation, the spent fuel pools also excite water, where sufficient energy results in radiolysis of water to form hydronium ions, electrons, hydroxide radicals, hydrogen radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and hydrogen.
  • the rate of hydrogen production is governed by the rate of energy absorption from bombardment with gamma rays, neutrons, and alpha particles.
  • a state of dynamic equilibrium is established with a low level of H 2 present in the pool as hydrogen is consumed by a number of pathways.
  • a large proportion of the Cerenkov radiation is ultraviolet radiation, which can excite the water to the first absorption band for an isolated water molecule at 7.5 eV where dissociation into H and OH radicals occurs.
  • the excited water in spent fuel rod containment pools is electrolyzed.
  • Excited water can be electrolyzed with an increased rate and efficiency of hydrogen production.
  • the electrolysis is carried out using the water of the spent fuel pool such that the water in an excited state is electrolyzed.
  • the source of the radiation excited water is referred to as that from the spent fuel pool.
  • the spent fuel pool is an accessible source of the radiation excited water relative to that from other portions of a nuclear power plant
  • radiation excited water from other portions of a nuclear power system may be employed as that from the "spent fuel pool" and is herein considered radiation excited water from a spent fuel pool.
  • the energy from the spent fuel rods is typically simply dissipated in a non-harmful manner and costs for the storage is not captured in any fashion.
  • This spent fuel pool water reduces the electrical energy required for the production of an equivalent quantity of hydrogen and its by-product oxygen relative to water that has not been excited.
  • the oxygen produced in this manner is an alternate route to oxygen production in addition to cryogenic air separation and vacuum pressure swing adsorption processes that currently dominate oxygen production.
  • the cogeneration of oxygen constitutes an additional product of value to reduce the cost of producing hydrogen by electrolysis. Where hydrogen combustion is used for energy release for any purpose, the oxygen by-product can be employed if desired.
  • the electrolysis apparatus can be of any design, including alkaline electrolysers, proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers, alkaline ionomer based electrolysers, or even solid oxide electrolyzers where heat from the reactor is also employed for the production of hydrogen.
  • the electrodes are powered by the electricity generated by the nuclear power plant that has the spent fuel pool on site.
  • the power can be from electrical generation facilities other than or in addition to the nuclear power plant that provides the spent fuel rods.
  • the electricity can be generated by wind, geothermal, solar, hydroelectric, tidal, or any other mode, and can be a facility that exclusively generates electricity for the electrolysis process.
  • the other electrical power source can be used in combination with the electrical power generated at a nuclear power plant.
  • the generator can generate a DC current that is directly provided to the electrolysers.
  • the production of hydrogen permits the electrical power to be more efficiently produced by a grid energy storage system. Energy is stored as hydrogen and oxygen during low power demand periods and little or no hydrogen and oxygen are produced when demand of the grid is high. During periods of low power consumption by grid consumers (e.g., during the middle of the night), electrical power is diverted from the grid to hydrogen and oxygen production, whereas less power is diverted to hydrogen and oxygen production during periods of high power demand by the grid consumers. Such load leveling increases the efficiency of the power generation relative to when the level of power output fluctuates to a large degree.
  • the hydrogen can be used additionally or exclusively as a source of energy that can be used in applications that are remote to the site of generation.
  • the enhanced efficiency in running the nuclear power plant further decreases the cost of hydrogen production in addition to the reduction in electrical energy required to form the hydrogen because the water has been excited by the radiation from the stored spent fuel rods.
  • the water is drawn from a position in the spent fuel pool adjacent to the spent fuel rods where a relatively high proportion of water exists in an excited state.
  • the water can be drawn as needed into at least one electrolyser.
  • the water can be drawn in a controlled manner via a pump, gravity, or even a siphon.
  • the electrolyser can be situated in close proximity to the pool, or even in the pool, and a high rate of flow can be used such that minimal decay from the excited state has occurred to the water being delivered to the cells of the electrolysers for electrolysis.
  • the water drawn from this portion of the spent fuel pool will be warm, which is also favorable to the efficient generation of hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis.
  • the electrolyser can contain any number of electrolysis cells.
  • the DC electrical power needed for the electrolysis cells can be relatively low voltage, but high current is required for high rates of hydrogen generation.
  • the AC electricity typically generated by the generators coupled to the turbines of the nuclear power plants can be converted to DC electricity using traditional means, generally using transformers and rectifiers, or using non-traditional means, such as powering the rotating shaft and any electromagnets used in a one or more homopolar generator to produce a low voltage high current DC used for electrolysis.
  • steam may be diverted from the turbine coupled to the AC generator to a turbine coupled to a DC generator.
  • the radiation excited water can be passed through a magnetic field immediately before introduction to the electrodes of the electrolyser.
  • Magnetic fields can affect the hydrogen bonding aggregate structure of the water, modifying properties, for example surface tension, which, for example, can enhance the wetting of electrodes, and further increasing the efficiency of electrolysis.
  • a set of magnets where each set is a plurality of magnets, can be incorporated at the entrance to electrolyzers or each electrolysis cell within an electrolyser.
  • the magnets can be situated such that like poles of the magnet are directed toward each other where the excited water is passed through this high magnetic flux.
  • the magnets can be permanent or electromagnets.
  • the magnetic field can be high, for example, 5,000 gauss or greater. In this manner, with little or no additional power, the efficiency of the electrolysis of the excited water can be further enhanced.
  • FIG. 1 is a basic scheme of an electrolysis system according to one embodiment of the invention using water from the spent fuel pool of a nuclear power plant.
  • a nuclear reactor within containment 1 which houses the reactor and a steam generator, is coupled to a steam line 2 to a turbine 3 with a return line 4 returning a condensate to the steam generator.
  • the turbine 3 turns the shaft of a generator 5, which in most plants generates AC current.
  • a converter 6 can be used to generate a DC current where an electrolyser 7 is shown as a single electrolysis cell with a cathode 8, where hydrogen is generated, separated by a membrane 9 from an anode 10, where oxygen is generated. Though not shown, water can flow through the electrolysis cell and be returned to the spent fuel pool. The radiation excited water is drawn through a pipe 11 from the spent fuel pool 12 from the vicinity of the spent fuel rod assembly 13. The hydrogen generated at the cathode 8 can then be drawn to a hydrogen compressor 14, where the compressed hydrogen can be stored in a high pressure hydrogen containment vessel 15. Alternately or additionally the hydrogen can be collected and stored by an absorption process.
  • the oxygen generated at the anode can be drawn to an oxygen compressor 16 and stored in a high pressure oxygen containment vessel 17.
  • the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 shows the use of an optional magnet assembly 18, showing a set as a single pair of magnets, that is situated at or in the pipe 11 through which the radiation excited water is delivered to the electrolyser 7 when passing through the flux generated by, as illustrated, the two south poles of the magnets directed toward each other.
  • the two like poles can be two north poles.
  • FIG. 1 shows critical portions of a hydrogen generating system according to an embodiment of the invention, but does not show many components that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate are generally included for effective operation of such a system.
  • Components that are generally employed in a system include, but not limited to, valves, controllers and pumps.
  • a generator directly generates DC current; multiple electrolysers are used with controllers to limit the number of working electrolysers and at what level the electrolysers are functioning; electrolysers with multiple electrolysis cells are employed that may have different designs of electrolysis cells; components are placed at different positions in the system, for example where the electrolysers are included in the spent fuel pool; and hydrogen storage is based on other means of storage than compression, such as absorption or chemical conversion into hydrides or other reactive hydrogen equivalents.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Electrolytic Production Of Non-Metals, Compounds, Apparatuses Therefor (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé de production électrolytique d'hydrogène qui comprend les étapes consistant à: amener de l'eau excitée par un rayonnement et provenant d'un bassin de combustible consommé d'une centrale nucléaire vers un ou plusieurs électrolyseurs; appliquer du courant continu à des paires d'électrodes des électrolyseurs afin de former de l'hydrogène et de l'oxygène; collecter l'hydrogène. L'étape de collecte d'hydrogène peut être mise en œuvre dans un système de stockage d'énergie de réseau afin de produire de grandes quantités d'hydrogène pendant les périodes de faible demande en électricité de réseau, avec peu ou pas d'hydrogène pendant les périodes de forte demande en électricité de réseau.
PCT/US2009/055661 2008-09-19 2009-09-02 Electrolyse d'eau de bassin de combustible consommé pour la production d'hydrogène WO2010047884A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US9824708P 2008-09-19 2008-09-19
US61/098,247 2008-09-19

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WO2010047884A2 true WO2010047884A2 (fr) 2010-04-29
WO2010047884A3 WO2010047884A3 (fr) 2010-07-22

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Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20120097550A1 (en) * 2010-10-21 2012-04-26 Lockhart Michael D Methods for enhancing water electrolysis
EP2540873A1 (fr) * 2011-07-01 2013-01-02 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Système de gestion d'énergie, installation industrielle dotée d'un système de gestion d'énergie et procédé de fonctionnement d'un système de gestion d'énergie
EP2602358A1 (fr) * 2011-12-09 2013-06-12 David Harvey Une cellule d'électrolyse
JP5824122B1 (ja) * 2014-08-06 2015-11-25 日本システム企画株式会社 液体活性化・電解装置及び液体活性化・電解方法
EP3859050A1 (fr) 2020-01-30 2021-08-04 Ulrich Ulmer Dispositifs d'électrolyse utilisant un rayonnement ionisant et procédés associés

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US20070217995A1 (en) * 2004-02-18 2007-09-20 Chi Matsumura Hydrogen Producing Method and Apparatus
US20080047502A1 (en) * 2006-08-23 2008-02-28 Michael Russo Hybrid Cycle Electrolysis Power System with Hydrogen & Oxygen Energy Storage
US20080137797A1 (en) * 2005-12-21 2008-06-12 Andrew Maxwell Peter Electricity and steam generation from a helium-cooled nuclear reactor

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JPS59174503A (ja) * 1983-03-18 1984-10-03 Japan Atom Energy Res Inst トリチウム水からのトリチウム回収法
BE902271A (nl) * 1985-04-25 1985-08-16 Studiecentrum Kernenergi Elektrolyseur voor hoogactief-getritieerd water.
JPH02131186A (ja) * 1988-11-10 1990-05-18 Fuji Keiki:Kk 簡易型水処理装置
US5451322A (en) * 1994-06-03 1995-09-19 Battelle Memorial Institute Method and apparatus for tritiated water separation
DE19810963C1 (de) * 1998-03-13 1999-11-04 Siemens Ag Nukleare Kraftwerksanlage mit einer Begasungsvorrichtung für ein Kühlmedium
US7096600B2 (en) * 2002-12-13 2006-08-29 Holtec International, Inc. Forced gas flow canister dehydration

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070217995A1 (en) * 2004-02-18 2007-09-20 Chi Matsumura Hydrogen Producing Method and Apparatus
US20080137797A1 (en) * 2005-12-21 2008-06-12 Andrew Maxwell Peter Electricity and steam generation from a helium-cooled nuclear reactor
US20080047502A1 (en) * 2006-08-23 2008-02-28 Michael Russo Hybrid Cycle Electrolysis Power System with Hydrogen & Oxygen Energy Storage

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Publication number Publication date
US8404099B2 (en) 2013-03-26
WO2010047884A3 (fr) 2010-07-22
US20100072074A1 (en) 2010-03-25

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